The End
by Caffeinated Star
Summary: They all had to die someday. A closer look at the death of our four protagonists. -A repost.-
1. Kurama

**Strangely, As Always**

(1/4)

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><p>Kurama had fought for his life quite a few times. Each time, he had a plan. Each time, he knew what he was doing. But as he ran through the trees, he couldn't think of what to do. He was out of energy. He was out of deadly plants to manipulate.<p>

And then there was the blood steadily trickling down his arm. It had gone numb awhile ago; if he survived this experience, he would probably never use it again.

If he survived. That was a pretty big 'if.' In fact, if he won, Kurama thought he might die anyway.

A wry smile twisted on his face. What a pleasant thought. Sighing, he slowed down as Genkai's temple came into view, leaning against a tree. As he grew older, hitting his thirties, his body had slowed down more and more. Finally, it had come to a point where it was necessary to face the facts: he wasn't changing. He wasn't going to. His face still looked the same as it did when he was 18. So, he had moved permanently into the temple that Kuwabara also inhabited.

He never even dreamed someone would try and kill him.

Karma's a bitch, Kurama mused, making his way slowly to the temple again. He was chased to the human world. Now he was being chased to death. Fitting, in an ironic way.

"Now, now, Kurama, we wouldn't want to be slowing down, would we?"

A pain erupted in his head. The last thing he heard was, "_An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth."_

Yes, very ironic indeed.


	2. Yusuke

_Warning:__ Cursing raises this to 'M.'_

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><p><strong>Fighting<strong>

(2/4)

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><p>When Yusuke Urameshi was five-years-old, he punched another guy in the face for bothering Keiko. That was the first time he remembered defending a friend of his against somebody. From that moment on, he promised that he would always fight for his friends, and himself. He supposed he had kept that promise, mostly. He had never backed out of a fight, at least, unless he knew it was utterly stupid to do so.<p>

Okay, maybe not even then.

Still, it was only fitting he would die fighting against someone. That way, he went out with a bang, just like the other two times. He bet that Death was happy that he would finally, truly die. Third time's the charm, eh?

Truthfully, he was fine with the way he died. Okay, he was only eighty-five or so, but he had left Ningenkai quite a time back, after people looked at him weirdly for still looking the same as he was when he was forty. So, when he hit fifty or so, he high-tailed it back to Makai. He visited the kids and Keiko every two weeks at Genkai's old temple, as well as checked in with Kuwabara and Kurama. It hadn't been too bad of a life.

Then Kurama died. They had found him, covered in his own blood, shock apparent on his face, and mangled outside the temple. They all tried to look for who did it. Eventually, one by one, the others started to give up. Even Hiei finally told him off and said, "He's not coming back and whoever did kill him would probably think we fought like children compared to him." But, Yusuke, never did give up. He combed through Makai, Ningenkai and Reikai (well, until he was kicked out by a few of Koenma's people).

And after years of obsessing and searching, he finally found the culprit.

Yusuke kept to his promise and fought for his friend.

And screw the person who later said that there was no winner. He was the last one standing, and to hell with them and Yomi for being a fucking asshole and murdering his friend. If he had more strength, Yusuke would use it to rip Yomi's insides out.

But he didn't. That's how he found himself stumbling on his feet, until his face met the ground.

His thought? This pretty much sucked. Kuwabara was going to outlive him. Yeah, that sucked. It really, really sucked. And Koenma was going to kill him again, for getting killed.

His eyes closed. He really wasn't looking forward going to Koenma's office. And Koenma better actually have a spot for him this time, or else he was going to murder him, even if made him end up in Hell. Besides, he had a feeling murdering Koenma would feel great.

Who was he kidding? He wouldn't murder Koenma. That would be _very_ stupid.

His thoughts were getting fuzzy. His head didn't feel right.

Suddenly, he was looking down at his haggard body, just like it started at the beginning.

He almost groaned when Botan showed up to take him away.

Well, afterlife, watch out! Yusuke Urameshi was finally joining the ranks.

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><p><em>Weakest one in this mini-series, in my opinion. <em>


	3. Kuwabara

**Smiling**

(3/4)

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><p>Kuwabara eyed the beeping machines distastefully. Wasn't it enough to be coughing every ten seconds, let alone be surrounded by irritating machines? Grumbling, he sighed and leaned back onto the pillows.<p>

Here he was. A hundred years old and dying of pneumonia. This was the great psychic? This was the man that took over the old lady's temple? Damn him if he was going out that way. Yusuke died fighting. Kurama died in his own mysterious way, as usual. And Hiei was still hanging around somewhere. _He_ wasn't going to be beaten by some stupid sickness.

Kuwabara looked down at his hand. He had just enough energy left. Focusing, the tiniest Spirit Sword he had ever seen appeared in his hand. The warmth made him feel the most alive he had in the last few weeks.

Without a second thought, he plunged the sword into his chest.

Doubling over, he felt the last of his life drain out of him. He would show them. The great Kuwabara wasn't about to be made a fool of by a fox and an ex-thug.

The nurses found him bent over, with his hand to his chest. But strangest of all, he was smiling.


	4. Hiei

**Snow**

(4/4)

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><p>It figured he would die of snow.<p>

That was Hiei's thought, as he lay there in the white powder, watching the sky send even more of it down to coat his already covered body. Obstinately, he tried to use his aura to burn some of it off him, but it seemed all his energy had been used up. His limbs had long since stopped moving, and it looked like no one else would be coming along anytime soon.

In short, he was all alone. Just like from the start.

He always knew he would live alone and die alone. And now his suspicions had come true.

_What about the fox? And the detective? And the moron? _An irritating voice said in the back of his mind.

Hiei let his crimson eyes slip close, blocking out the gray sky. He hadn't thought about the three in years.

He tried not to think about the dead.

Still, it looked like he would be joining the dead. Not those three, though. He was sure Koenma had sent them to Heaven. Hiei, on the other hand, would be going straight down to the depths of Hell. Before he had even been forced to spend time with the Detective, he had been rotting away in a cell with the worst demons around. If that wasn't a sign of where he was going, he didn't know what was.

But, though he thought he would die by himself, he didn't think he would die by snow. After all, he was a fire apparition. Just standing in it melted the snow. Yet, perhaps he shouldn't be surprised. The damn Koorime were Ice Demons. And _they _had thrown him off a cliff.

Maybe it was only fitting to die this way. The Ice Demons had tried to kill him in the first place. This could just be their way of finding payback for him living. That seemed something like the cold-hearted bitches would do.

So, it figured he would die of snow.

The white substance nearly covered his entire body. Hiei let his red eyes open once more. The wind blew viciously, and a wave of snow attacked.

His eyes closed again.

Yes, it figured.

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><p><em>Don't pity the dead; pity the living. - Albus Dumbledore<em>


End file.
